A court case flopped on Friday in Mayuge district after it was revealed that the prosecutor was away to take her children back to school.

It is the time of the year when children are reporting back to school for the first term after the long break. 

Friday had been set for the hearing of a case in which the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) is accusing two men of vandalizing its equipment.

The accused are Egesa Ntalo and Asuman Mulondo.

But when the day arrived, Mayuge district chief magistrate Harriet Atim Okello briefed both the complainants and the accused that the matter couldn’t proceed as had been scheduled earlier.

“I want to inform court that the prosecutor has not been able to attend today’s session because she sought permission to take her children back to school," said the chief magistrate.

Consequently, Atim adjourned the case until next Thursday (February 15).

The UEDCL team had been set to testify against Ntalo and Mulondo, who are accused of vandalizing aerial bundled cables valued at sh38m.

The UEDCL team included Alex Asiimwe (territory manager), Florence Biira (regional customer service for eastern region) and Asuman Mabanda (Mayuge area manager).

According to Biira, the overhead power lines are used on low voltage for construction lines or line extension to individual supply.

The two accused — and others still at large — reportedly vandalized the cables on January 14 this year in Buyere village, Mpungwe sub-county in Mayuge.

Local residents are said to have caught them red-handed at around 4am. 

At the time, Egesa was reportedly found up on a pole cutting a cable while Ntalo was on the ground doing the folding and packing.

A motorcycle (UFG 75R), said to have been found at the scene, was meant to transport the suspects away from the location.

Biira said the locals quickly alerted their technical assistant, Joachim Ssemakula, and also informed their area Gombolola internal security officer, who in turn reported the matter to the area Police.

Initially, Egesa managed to escape from the scene. But his apprehended accomplice Ntalo eventually — after interrogations — led Police to his hideout, leading to Egesa's arrest.

Biira said Egesa also led security operatives elsewhere where they recovered more equipment.

More suspects remain at large, with Police saying they are still hunting for them.